Horizon Forbidden West is the next chapter for Aloy. This continues the post-apocalyptic storyline after Horizon Zero Dawn, so if you haven’t played the first game you might need to do some homework.
Here she needs to end blight and find the backup of Gaia. Aloy will be joined by companions including old friends like Varl and Erend, along with new allies like Zo, Alva and Kotallo. The sidekick at the start can be rather aloof. This story is sometimes a little vague, but the scenery is visually stunning.
Some people have recommended playing the first game before this one so you’ll understand the backstory. Alternatively, you could watch a game recap on YouTube to get an idea of the characters. You might like to view the Notebook in the game menu to read the character bios. This will help explain the history of Zero Dawn and what happened before this point.
It’s great to see a powerful female lead character who is portrayed as strong and capable. Aloy is a little reserved and serious, but she’s focused and determined. Her voice artist is Ashley Burch. The other characters are well-formed with unique science fiction themes.
There are improvements including better melee mechanics and more humanlike interactions. Explore the world by swimming underwater, high vault traversing and the ability to free climb. There were a couple of spots where I was stuck and the hints become repetitive and annoying. I prefer fewer verbal hints, and more example playthroughs.
Watch out for the machines with fierce names like clamberjaw, tremortusk, shellsnapper, burrower, sunwing, clawstrider, slitherfang and bristleback. It’s lucky you can select tools like Pullcaster and Shieldwing to assist in the fights.
If you were a fan of Zero Dawn, then you’ll enjoy Horizon Forbidden West. If you’re new to the series like me, you’ll discover an enjoyable game with ample hours of playtime.
4.5 stars
Pros
- Amazing sci-fi world with original characters and a strong female lead
- Beautiful open-world adventure with hours of play
Cons
- Verbal hints can be repetitive.
Offline player enabled. 1 player game by Sony Interactive Entertainment.
The website includes Horizon Forbidden West cosplay guides and free templates for papercraft guides.
Horizon Forbidden West is available now on PlayStation 4 and PlayStation 5.
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